Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-06-08

reason TO suppose that she Is, or can be,
any thing more than n friend TO him. IL IL
her fault that you arc all 30 madly In love
with heri We buzz around her like a
I swarm OF bees. We can't keep away. Now
what would you have her do, forbid every
gentleman except yourself TO enter the
| housem
"No, but she might show her prefer
ence,n answered Smithers.
| ayes, II she has any
"well, OF course she has"
| "fos think so.n
| This conversation, which took place In
my store one afternoon about six weeks
after Miss Budderili's return homo, might
have taken very unpleasant turn mt this
| point but for the entrance OF "A couple OF
ladies'. One was Lawyer Dunready's wife,
and the other was a stranger TO us all
| Ihastoned TO wait upon Mrs. Dunrcady,
| while the strange lady stopped ut the show
| case at the further end OF the counter.
/ am quite intimate with the Dunreadys-l
stood godfather 10 their only son, "a late ar
rival in Larragona-a am pretty well &c
Quaintcd with all their 'relatons and
friends; - but here was one that had never
seen before. Leaning over cut of sheeting
which Mrs Dunroady was examining,
whispered my question POLITICALLY, thus
"who is the maid with golden hair,
With eyes OF fire and foot OF air."
"Pshawl Leda wears n number six boot,
and her eyes are a sky blue" answered
Mrs. Dunready "She is "a widow, and my
cousin, Mrs Vastings. She was married
eight years ago and went TO Chicago. Has
Just returned TO the East, and l hope she
will remain. Shall introduce you"
"By all means"
Tho lady swept along toward us. She
/ lly a mi til
| She smiled graciously upon me when the
introduction was made, and every body
knows what widows smile is. A pretty
maidens is like sunshine, but widows is
| sunshine after Unexpectedly glorious
She was Of a blonde complexion, with the
most wonderful golden hair; and more
wonderful still it was all her own, not even
| excepting the color. Then she had voice
low and soft as doves, and the most ex-
quisite nose! Lips "like a thread Of scar
| let" and teeth-but let us let them alone,
they were beautiful but who made them
| so. never knew the dentists name
At last Mrs. Dunready, having completed
her purchases, turned TO go.
| "Why haven't you called upon us, Mr..
Jonjonesw she asked; and the widows
| eyes said, "why don't your"
'I've been thinking of it for some time"
returned
'Is it a subject that requires a great deal
| OF thought" inquired the widow, with
| witching little smile playing around the
corners of those scarlet lips
mo, not now"
"You will come up this evening, per-
haps!" said Mrs. Dunready.
"Yes.n
The ladies bowed and withdrew.
And so that evening l spent at Mrs. Dun
| ready's But on my way there was obliged
| to pass Mr.. Budderfi's, and there on the
| piazza was Medora and her friends, Miss
| Pinman and Miss Clintoe, surrounded by
| Brown, Smithers and Black. touched my
hat to the ladies and passed on, and thought
| that Medora must have experienced sense
| Of relief that one of her admirers had with
| drawn, for one evening at least.
/ found Dunready and the ladies as
| scmbled on the lawn in front of the house.
engaged in n game of croquet.
"Ah, Jonjoncs," cried Dunready "you
are just in season to commence the game
with u.s.
''Leda was just wishing you would come, :"
| said his wife, with u mschievous smile at
| her fair friend.
The widow blushed as much as it was pos
sble for widow to, and looked down,
| knowing perhaps that her cyclashes were
| quite long and really worth showing.
"'Tis sweet to know there is AN eye will mark
| Our coming and look brighter when we come,
| | quoted, jestingly
II am glad that you think such knowl
edge is sweet. / shall begin to have hopes
of you, Notwithstanding | have hitherto
considered you such an incorrigible old
bachelor said Mrs. Dunready, driving
her ball through the first wicket,
Old bachelor. How could she be so cruel
| to me when handsome widow stood with
| in the sound of her voice. | was certain
that looked much younger, but that cX
preston would carry the idea that / was
much older than | really was. have al
ways been very rcticcnt upon the subj
| of my age, and as am not Il native of Lar
ragona; in fact, had only been rcsidcn
| there about ten years at that time, there
fore no one knew how long had been ~
inhabitant OF this terrestrial sphere, and ]
was certainly not only young looking man
but rather good-lookinS, too, if | do say il.
But had a secret that. if known, would
have materially affected the general i'm
preston regarding the number of year,
that had circled over my head, and cons
quently whenever the slightest allusiol
was made to my age trembled and turneC
pale. l did not color my hair; oh, no, ther
isn't silvered thread To be found in it, NJ,
| hair is my ''crowning glory" All the la.
dies pronounce it beautiful! | fancy the
| widow admired it,
"By the way, Mr.. Jonjones, suppose yo,
| have heard that the ladies are to hold fair
here in about u fortnight"'
ayes; | was called upon to contribui,
some time ago." croqucting Dunrc dy's bai
swell, we are to have tabIeauX, and
want you TO take part"
me! Why, meyer appeared before til
public in my life"
"What of that! All you'll have to dc
will be to show yourself, said Mrs. Dun
ready
"And whom or what am to represent
Captain John Smith. Mr.. White will
represent Powhatan, and Leda, Pocahontas.
spoke to Mr.. White about it this afternoon:
and now, Mr.. Jonjones can we depend upoi
your
ITO be cure we ~ cried Mrs. VastingS
| shooting one of her Irresistible glanccs 81:
me; and with those eyes upon inc coul,
not say no, and so, with the best grace pos
sible, consented.
We went into the house soon after, where
l passed very pleasant evening Mrs.
Vastings played and sang so sweetly and
feelingly that / am positively certain.
madam that IL / had not been in love with
|
heart ty storm, for although had reached
the age Of forty unmarried, am and always
have been very susceptible to female charms,
and, as you know, Lcda was one of tho most
charming of her sex.
1 feel IL my duty to tell you, believe
reader, that prior to this time / had, upon
several occasions, been just upon the point
| OF Offering myself as "a sacrifice upon the
hymencal altar, and but one thing re-
strained me. That was my terrible secret
l did not dare to reveal it before marriage,
and it would have been cruel to have mar.
ried any woman, leaving her to discover IL
| afterwards.
] returned to the store that night q have
a sleeping-room there) in great perturba-
ton. As / have said before, l was very
much in love with Mcdora~ and would have
given worlds IL could have called her mine
u hadn't u great many worlds at that time
to be sure). But what hope was there for